Dragon's Fire
by words.my.voice
Summary: The last generation of the Sohma curse was odd. Members did not change into their full Zodiac form and the curse started to break. To find the reasons, you must go back into the secrets and tragedy of the generation before.
1. Call

"Hey, Sohma, it's your family."

Kaida looked up at the phone her university roommate held in her outstretched hand, then turned back to her thick textbook.

"I'm not here," she said immediately.

"They heard you say that."

"Well, then I'm too busy to talk."

"You never want to talk to them." Sighing, her roommate put the phone back to her ear. "She —" she paused, listening to the person on the other end of the phone.

Kaida tried to ignore a tugging in her stomach and thwacked her palm with her highlighter, resolutely not paying attention to the conversation.

Her roommate angled the phone away from her mouth and directed her next words to Kaida. "He says to tell you it's Hosei."

Now Kaida gave her her full attention. "What's his voice sound like?"

"I don't know," her roommate responded, exasperated. "Like a young guy? Around twenty, our age."

Kaida pursed her lips, then held out her hand for the phone. She held it to her ear, gritted her teeth, and said, "This better actually be you Hosei."

"Hello Kaida," a smooth young man's voiced answered. It was soft, and sounded more solemn and a little older than Kaida remembered, but she still recognized it.

"Hey rooster boy," she almost smiled. "Nice to hear you. It's been a while"

Hosei's voice didn't return the warmth. "You need to come home," he said without preamble.

Kaida sat bold upright. "No. Did Samuru put you up to this? I should have known. I told him I'm not coming back. I'm going to live a free life, damn the family, damn the zodiac, and damn Samuru."

"It's not Samuru," Hosei said, with no change in emotion at her outburst. "It's Emiko. She's…" he took a shuddering breath. "Kaida, she's dying. I know you want to do things your way, but you have to come home now if you want to say goodbye. She doesn't have much time left."

Kaida swallowed and shut her eyes tight. "I'll be on the next flight home," she whispered.

_Disclaimer: Fruit's Basket and its characters belong to Natsuki Takaya._


	2. Reunion

**Review please. Tell me what you think. And merry Christmas, happy Hanukah, pleasant Solstice, and joyful holiday season everyone. **

Kaida spotted him as soon as she stepped outside the airport doors with her bag over her shoulder. A tall, lanky, dark haired young man leaning against the car waiting for her. He was staring up that the sky, but the kind faced woman with greying curly brown hair at his side smiled at the sight of Kaida.

"There she is," the woman said, coming towards her with open arms.

"Hi Hana," Kaida smiled warmly and hugged her.

"We missed you!" Hana said stepping back to look at her at arms length. "Our fiery little dragon. The family's not complete without you."

Kaida's smile became a little forced.

Hana furrowed her brows suddenly. "What did you do to your hair color?"

"Hmm?" Kaida touched the light blond locks mixed with liberal streaks of bright red, turquoise, and hot pink. "What do you mean? I've always had the color. It's natural. You know that. It comes from the dragon."

"Not the pink," Hana frowned. "Your dragon colors are red, blue, and gold. There's hardly enough blond on your head as it is without going and dying the rest rainbow."

"It's fine. Don't fuss, Hana," Kaida said, moving past her towards the car and Hosei, who had been quietly watching the reunion.

"Hey," Kaida said softly.

"Welcome back," he said with a polite smile. They stood there awkwardly for a moment, then he sighed and stepped forward to give her a hug. Kaida was tiny compared to him, her head just coming up to his shoulder. They let go quickly, and Kaida tossed her bag in the car.

"Is that all you brought?" Hosei asked as three got into the car.

"Yes," Kaida said simply, staring out the window. "I'm not staying."

"Hmm," Hana hummed as she drove. "So how is University? Do you have any good friends?"

"It's busy, but I like it. I have a small group of friends. It's hard to get too close though, and they're all girls because of the curse."

"I noticed you didn't come home for summer vacation."

"A professor let me help him work on some projects. It's great work experience."

Their tone was light, bouncing around cheerful topics and avoiding painful ones.

"So how are things at home?" Kaida asked. "Anything change much?"

"Not really," Hana replied. "It was strange to be missing you as well as Shunpei at New Years."

"Then another snake still hasn't been born? I assumed so, otherwise I expect I'd have heard."

"Yes." Hana turned off the main road they had been following. Kaida frowned.

"We're not going to the main house?"

"No," Hosei spoke for the first time since they'd stepped in the car. "We're going to the hospital right away."

There was silence as Kaida swallowed. "She's really that bad?" she whispered.

Hosei nodded, his eyes staring determinedly forward.

"What—what happened? Is she really… She's barely fourteen."

"She had appendicitis and when the doctor took it out it got infected. They didn't realize until it was too late and the infection had gotten into her bloodstream."

Kaida blinked hard a few times. "I didn't know," she whispered in a broken voice.

Hosei jerked his head, still not looked away from the road in front of them. "You weren't here."

The three did not talk much for the rest of the ride. At the hospital, Hana parked, then rummaged around in her bag.

"I'm going to call the main house and tell them what's going on," she said to Kaida. "Hosei can show you to Emiko's room."

Kaida didn't move. "Are you going to tell Samuru I'm here?"

Hana looked at her.

"No!" Kaida cried. "Please don't. You don't have to tell!"

Hana sighed. "We've been ordered to tell him anything we hear from you. Hosei and I have managed to push back against the order until today but know I need to call him."

"Fine," grumbled Kaida, turning without waiting for Hosei towards the hospital doors. He caught up and led her on a winding path through the halls until they reached the door to a small room with a card on it that said "Emiko Sohma" in neatly printed letters.

Kaida stopped outside the door. Hosei prodded her from behind.

"Go on," he said. "The nurse said she's awake. She's kind of delirious now, from pain and sickness, but at least she'll be able to see you."

"I left," Kaida whispered.

Hosei stopped poking her.

"I left her, and— and you, and just went off to university as far away as I could pull," she gave a bitter laugh, "which wasn't very far actually, and hid from everyone." She took a shaky breath and pressed her hands to her face. "And now Emiko's dying and I wasn't there for her. I was just gone with no goodbye."

"She'll forgive you," Hosei said softly. "You know Emiko, puppy dog personality and all that. She'll just be glad you came. She'd never blame you."

"You do," Kaida replied. "And so do I."

Hosei didn't respond to this. "Go in and say goodbye now," he said in a gentler voice than he had used since Kaida had picked up the phone and gave her a small push towards the door.

* * *

><p>That night, Kaida sat on the roof of Hana's house, avoiding everyone. They had left the hospital just before other's arrived and so far she hadn't had any contact with the rest of the Zodiac.<p>

Inside the phone rang. Kaida could hear Hosei pick it up through the window next to her. The window to his room happened to be the quickest way onto the roof. She leaned back slightly to watch him on the other side of the glass. He was turned away from her and his back was straight and stiff.

"Samuru? The hospi— oh, ok," he said flatly. "Thank you."

Kaida rested her head against the roof tiles, closing her eyes against the hot tears, as inside, Hosei bent over, hands gripping his hair and his shoulders shaking.

_Disclaimer: Fruit's Basket and its characters belong to Natsuki Takaya._


	3. Funeral

**Thanks to Essie123 and ****Yamai-san. It's nice to know someone's reading. **

The wake was held the next night. Kaida stood next to Hosei as the priest offered incense to the small casket, staring straight forward to avoid the curious eyes of the rest of the Zodiac. Samuru stood closest to the casket, looking majestically sorrowful. When the ceremony was over, he dismissed everyone.

Kaida turned when she felt a light hand touch her elbow. Hosei quietly nodded his head towards the door.

"What?" she said, frowning at him. "But— aren't you staying?"

He shook his head. "Samuru wants to be alone."

"You're her closest relative."

"You are all dismissed," the direct order rang out in Samuru's clear, strong voice. He hadn't turned from the casket. Kaida swallowed bile and followed Hosei out. She could hear him pacing his room all through the night.

The next morning they gathered again for the funeral. Kaida pulled uncomfortably at the skirt of her black dress. She had overheard some servants whispering that it was disrespectfully short, but her kimono from Shunpei's funeral was somewhere in Samuru's house, and Kaida hadn't risked going to find it. Besides, Emiko would have thought it funny. She always liked Kaida's rebellious style.

"First the snake, now the dog," someone was whispering off somewhere behind the members of the Zodiac. "And the monkey is sick enough to follow soon. All the Zodiac are getting old. Except for the dragon and the rooster, of course, and the ram's just middle aged I guess. The dragon's so damn stubborn though, trying to fight against the curse just for her own selfish reasons, so who knows how she'll end up."

Kaida jerked her attention back to the front. The priest had begun to read out Emiko's new name. With it, Emiko's spirit could no longer return to their world.

Hosei stood abruptly.

"I'm sorry," he murmured down the row to Samuru. "I'll be back."

Everyone stared sympathetically at him as he left. After a moment, Kaida stood too. The stares were on her now, and they were much less sympathetic. Particularly, Samuru's gaze bored into her back. She was lucky to have been back this long without having to confront him, or even meet his eye. She kept her head turned resolutely in the direction Hosei had gone, and followed him out.

Hosei had wandered outside and was leaning against a cherry tree around the corner from the door. He didn't show surprised when Kaida neared him. He kept his gaze focused up on the clouds.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, after a moment of silence.

Hosei lowered his head to look at her, confused. "What for?"

"She was your sister."

He sighed and looked back at the sky. "She was yours too."

Kaida raised an eyebrow, and Hosei shrugged.

"Well maybe not by blood," he conceded. "But the three of us grew up together in Hana's house."

Despite the sad circumstances, Kaida couldn't help but smile at the memories. Hosei must have felt the same because he went on in a warmer tone.

"You know I can still remember when I first saw you."

"Really?" Kaida gave a shaky laugh. "I was only a few weeks old."

"But I was three." He looked at her and smiled. "Your mom had barely let anyone else hold you since you were born, particularly no men. Except Samuru of course, but even that was a power struggle."

"And then after about a month, my dad was sick of it and he went in while I was sleeping," Kaida continued the familiar story. "And when he picked me up I transformed. He was so freaked, he ran out shouting at my mom, who started screaming hysterically, and wouldn't go into my room anymore or let anyone else in."

"And everyone was running around confused and shouting. No one noticed the little boy who came to see what the commotion was, so I snuck quietly into the room and found a golden dragon, with beautiful blue and red spines. You were just curled in a corner where your father'd dropped you, whimpering. I picked you up and tried to comfort you. And by the time the rest of family and servants managed to force their way in, they found me sitting on the floor, rocking a tiny, happily sleeping baby."

"And we were best friends ever after that," finished Kaida.

Hosei nodded. "Then Emiko was born, and she fit right in."

His faraway gaze suddenly focused on Kaida again as he sobered. "Then you left."

Kaida closed her eyes.

"I had to leave."

"No warning, no goodbye, nothing. Just a fight with Samuru, and you were gone."

"I couldn't stay here! I had a chance to go somewhere else, to do what I wanted and be myself for a change."

"Everyone had only a vague idea where you were. There was no contact. No one could call you or send you a letter."

"If I left an address Samuru have found me easily."

"So you vanished off the earth for all I knew.

"I'm not like you. I can't shrug and live my life with just a little resentment, bound by the curse between these walls. I wanted to be free from this family and for once not be Samuru's little toy!"

"What about us?" Hosei's eyes blazed and his voice rose in intensity, though stayed low. "Did you want to be free of Emiko and me too?"

"Do you have any idea how hard it was to leave?" Kaida hissed back. "Why do you think I didn't say goodbye? I had to go, before Samuru ordered me to stay, or I thought twice about it."

All the fight seemed to have gone out of Hosei. He rubbed the tears that had started to flow forcefully away from his cheeks.

"You abandoned us. Then Emiko got sick and I was going to be all alone. All she wanted was to see you once more, and I did too, but I thought you weren't going to come back for her. That we meant less to you than your hatred of being confined."

Kaida gasped and spoke in a shaky, but slightly more even tone.

"You know that's not true." She reached out a hand to wipe the tears falling unchecked from Hosei's eyes, stepping closer to him.

"You are my family," she whispered. "You and Hana and—and Emiko are the ones I love. Not Samuru's forced devotion. I was afraid that if I had to face you I wouldn't be able to leave."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "I missed you."

Now Kaida had started to cry. "I should have been here. I could have helped Emiko."

He screwed his eyes shut and shook his head. "There was nothing you could have done."

"I could have been here for you."

Hosei let out a strangled breath.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Kaida murmured over and over between sobs like she was clinging to the words for dear life. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

"Shh," Hosei whispered, and he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her on the lips.

They lost track of time, standing there together, holding each other tightly, and sobbing. Neither one noticed Samuru come to find them, stop and step back into the shadows, watching.

_Disclaimer: Fruit's Basket and its characters belong to Natsuki Takaya._


	4. Talk

**Review please.**

The funeral was over. Emiko's body had been cremated, and her ashes placed in the family tomb. Hosei and Kaida had not said anything to each other since their talk outside, both preferring to return to their rooms in exhaustion and sadness. A step inside her room though, Kaida paused. Frowning, she looked around. The bag and few items she had brought with her were not there anymore. The room was just as bear as she had left it when she had torn everything down and left for university.

Sighing in frustration, Kaida turned around and hopped back down the stairs to the ground floor of the house.

"Hana," she called, looking around the living room and kitchen. "Have you seen my bag? Hana?"

"Hana's on the other side of the compound," answered a smooth male voice. "I understand she'd made some carrot cake and was bringing it to Etsuko. She'll likely be staying at the main house with the rest of the Zodiac for quite a while."

Kaida froze. Slowly, she turned to face the speaker. Average height, lean but strong body, excessively greying hair pulled back into a short ponytail, and wearing his suit from the funeral, Samuru returned her measuring gaze with own of his own.

Kaida was the one to finally break the standoff. She looked down to run her hand along the couch. "Carrot cake for the rabbit. How fitting."

A smile danced around Samuru's mouth. "I thought so too. Welcome back Kaida," he said softly.

She nodded, still not looking at him.

He watched her for a moment, then turned and strode out the door. "Come," he said firmly over his shoulder. Scowling, Kaida followed. The two walked silently across the family compound and into the cluster of buildings at the very center. His private rooms were quiet and empty. Samuru slid off his coat and placed it on a chair as his started to take off his tie. Kaida leaned against the sliding door open to the garden outside and regarded him suspiciously.

"Where's my stuff?" she finally asked, stepping inside.

"I had it moved back to the main house for you," he replied casually, not paying her much attention as he set his tie aside.

"I've always lived at Hana's house."

"Of course, the ram's house. You're a part of her little flock."

"Hana's a good mother."

"Does that make me your father?" he smirked faintly.

Kaida glared back. "Never."

Samuru eyed her. "I see you still have your spirit," he commented drily. He began meandering around the room. Kaida held very still. "There used to be a couple of you living there didn't there," he said in a more conversational voice. "Now it's just Hosei. Poor Hosei. I really must remember to talk to him about moving in here. He must be so lonely." He stopped and turned to Kaida with the look of a kindly uncle. "But never mind Hosei for now. I brought you here so we could talk about you! Catch up, you know. It's been too long. How do you like university?"

"It's good," replied Kaida stiffly.

"Studying interesting subjects?"

"My professors say I have an aptitude for business."

"Of course you do. You're a smart girl."

"It'd be a shame to waste it."

He shot her a piercing look, then went on as if he hadn't heard.

"What about outside the classroom? Join any fun clubs? Meet any nice friends."

"A couple."

"Boyfriends?"

"No," Kaida replied stiffly. "The curse made it dangerous, and I had enough on my mind already."

"That makes sense. Good reasoning. Or, maybe," he drew the word out and paused, facing away from Kaida as he straightened an antique sword hanging on the wall as decoration. "Your heart was already somewhere else."

Kaida watches his back, alarmed. Then he turned back to her and smiled.

"Anyway, it's good to have you back. Like I said, I've arranged for you to move into one of the main house rooms, and as soon as you send for the rest of your things we can set them up, and you'll be all at home."

"I'm going back to school."

"Excuse me?"

"It's the middle of term. I have to go back."

"Now Kaida," he smiled condescendingly at her. "I thought we talked about this. We agreed that you could go off to university for a little while and have some fun and independence. But now your little experiment of living on your own is over. It's time to come back home and be serious."

"I am completely serious."

Samuru's pleasant exterior disappeared completely, replaced by one of ice. "Are you defying me?" Kaida didn't answered. His voice rose dangerously. "Well?"

He pounded his fist on the table and Kaida jumped. Taking two large strides he came up very close to her bowed head. "This is why I thought it a bad idea for you to go," he hissed. "You've learned insolence and become self-absorbed."

"I want to be free to make my own choices," Kaida whispered shakily.

"Which means abandoning the family forever?"

"If you didn't try to hold me here—"

"I try to hold you because you don't know what's best for you!"

"You have no idea what's best for me!" spat Kaida.

"I am your God!" Samuru screamed.

"You are no God of mine!" shrieked Kaida in return. "And you and your curse can go to hell!"

Samuru's face was livid. "Bow to me!" he commanded. Kaida matched his fury in her gaze and stood up straighter. "Bow!"

Hatred written all over her face, Kaida's knees buckled of their own accord and hit the floor. Very slowly, Samuru walked over to stand in front of her. He leaned down and whispered, "See? You can not disobey my orders, even if you want to."

She struggled to stand while he watched, still standing over her.

"I am your God," he hissed, emphasizing each word. "And you will spend the rest of your life here, in this family."

He stood up straighter. "You _will_ obey me, and you _will_ learn respect."

"Make me," Kaida replied through clenched teeth.

A glint appeared in Samuru's eye, and he smiled sinisterly. "I think I shall. Servants!"

A group servants hurried into the room, looking back and forth between Samuru and Kaida's death stare match. Samuru's smile became a grin.

"They say solitary confinement is good for humility. Unless of course, you'd prefer to stay with the cat."

Two men stood on either side of Kaida, grasped her arms and hauled her to her feet. Samuru waved his hand dismissively and turned away.

"Take her to the isolation rooms. No sunlight, no contact, and just some bread and water."

"Like hell you will!" Kaida cried out, twisting madly in her captors arms. She swung her foot and kick the man on her right squarely and hard in the shin. He let go of her, swearing profusely, and Kaida turned and threw herself at the man on the left. He raised his hands to protect his face, obviously expecting her to hit him, but her arms wrapped around his middle instead.

"No!" shouted Samuru, but it was too late. In a puff of smoke, Kaida's black dress was crumpled on the floor and a golden dragon, a little smaller and longer than a dog, was slithering between the servant's legs, across the floor, and out the still open door. The blue and red tail disappeared into the bushes among the sounds of pounding footsteps and Samuru's screams of "Find her!" reverberating around the compound.

_Disclaimer: Fruit's Basket and its characters belong to Natsuki Takaya._


	5. Hiding

The pounding on the front door woke Hosei from his nap. As irritable as he was to have been woken so suddenly, he was also grateful to be saved from a mix of confusing and disturbing dreams. Rubbing his face, he made his way to the front door and opened it. A cluster of harried looking servants were standing on the front step.

"What's the matter?" mumbled Hosei sleepily.

"Have you seen Kaida?" one asked.

"No," Hosei frowned. "Why?"

"She's run off somewhere." The servants pushed past Hosei into the house. "Excuse us. Samuru ordered everywhere to be searched."

"Sure," Hosei settled onto the couch. After ten minutes of looking in every room and every possible hiding place, the servants finally said goodbye and left empty handed.

Hosei had watched them search with a thoughtful frown, then shrugged when they left. With a sigh, he made his way back up to his room, only to pause once inside the door. The window was open and a breeze blew through the curtains faintly. He could have sworn it had been closed just a few minutes earlier when the servants had been checking in the room.

Carefully, Hosei knelt on the floor and leaned down to peer under the bed. A golden dragon, curled tightly as far back as she could get under the bed, stared back.

"You haven't had to resort that trick for a long time," Hosei commented lightly.

There was a puff of smoke, and the dragon turned into Kaida, lying on her stomach with her eyes brimming over.

"I didn't have a choice," she said simply.

Hosei sighed and stood up. "I'll go get your clothes."

"Samuru took all my things to the main house."

"What?" Hosei stopped. "Should I get you something of Hana's then?"

Under the bed, Kaida closed her eyes tightly. "I just want something comfortable."

There was a pause, then Hosei rustled around for a moment and a large tee-shirt and a clean pair of boxers landed on the floor next to the bed.

"Hope they fit ok," Hosei said gently. "I'll be downstairs."

The shirt hung down a little above her knees because she was so short, but the clothes were comforting as Kaida joined Hosei in the kitchen. Late afternoon was falling outside the windows, and he was busy making sandwiches. As Kaida padded over to him, he held one out to her, and she hopped up to sit on the counter. Hosei leaned against the cabinets opposite her, and took a bite of his own, watching her silently.

"So what happened with Samuru?" he asked finally.

Kaida shrugged, not looking at him and picking at a seed on the crust. "Just an argument. The usual."

"You don't usually go bolting off in dragon form," Hosei replied softly.

She didn't answer. Then, when Hosei ate the last bite of his sandwich and started to move to go get something else, she whispered, "Samuru wants to lock me in isolation."

Hosei froze. "What?"

"There are more rooms like the cat's prison, and he thinks it'll be good for me to spend some time there," Kaida went on, her head bowed.

"For how long?"

Her eyes shut tight against a few unruly tears. "I don't know."

"No!" Kaida opened her eyes at Hosei's cry. He had moved to stand right in front of her and his hands cupped her face. Since she was sitting on the counter they were at the same level. "No. He can't lock you up. I won't let him."

"There's nothing you can do," said Kaida sadly.

"You have go." Hosei's face was firm. "You can leave tonight, sneak out. Go to university, go whereever, and don't come back, and don't let him find you."

"What about you?" Kaida raised her hand to his on her cheek. "You'll be alone."

Hosei smiled. "I'll be alright."

Kaida bit her lip and shook her head. "No. I can't."

"You can."

"If I was going to run I had to do it immediately. But I came here instead." Kaida wound her fingers through Hosei's hair. "I can't leave you now."

Hosei blinked, his sad face matching Kaida's. Then he stepped forward, his arms pulling her close. They kissed, first softly, but with growing passion. Then, as Kaida's legs wrapped tight around Hosei's waist, he lifted her and, still kissing, carried her up the stairs.

_Disclaimer: Fruit's Basket and its characters belong to Natsuki Takaya._


	6. End

**Well, that's it. Thank you to Yamai-san and anyone else who actually read this. Oh, and a cameo of a real Fruits Basket character for falbreezy. **

"I don't care what Hana says," Hosei said, trailing a hand softly through Kaida's hair. "I like the pink streaks."

Kaida giggled and buried her face in the pillow, snuggling deeper into the bed. Hosei smiled and moved closer, kissing Kaida's bare shoulder lightly.

"I love you," he whispered, no longer amused, but earnest.

Kaida's eyes peeked up at him. "I love you too."

On the floor below there was a clatter as the front door open. The couple froze as footsteps clicked across the floor.

"That doesn't sound like Hana," Hosei murmured frowning.

"Kaida," the calm, smooth voice of Samuru called up the stairs. Kaida shut her eyes, resignation written all over her face. "I brought you your clothes. Come meet me in the main house in fifteen minutes."

His footsteps receded again and the door shut. Wordlessly, Kaida slid out of the bed and pulled on Hosei's borrowed tee-shirt that had been tossed on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Hosei sat up, watching her.

"You heard him," Kaida responded without looking at him. "A direct order. I can't disobey him."

Hosei left the bed and began searching for his own clothes. "I'm coming with you."

Now Kaida stopped and finally faced him. "No."

Hosei met her worried gaze. "Yes," he replied simply. When Kaida showed no signs of backing down he sighed, stepped forward, and pulled her into a close hug.

"I swear to you," he whispered into her hair. "Whatever happens, I will not leave your side."

Exactly fifteen minutes later, Kaida entered Samuru's rooms, Hosei one step behind her. Samuru looked up from the apple he was peeling with a knife. He set both down on the table and stood.

"I didn't summon you, Hosei," he said evenly. "You may go."

"Thank you sir," responded Hosei politely. "But I'm staying."

Samuru's eyes flicked back and forth between Kaida and Hosei. "Ah, I wondered if it would come to this."

"I will stay in the compound," Kaida said firmly. "You can order me to stay, and I'll be your little dragon, but I am begging you not to sent me into solitary confinement."

Samuru said nothing for a long moment, only watching them silently. Then suddenly he took a step forward and struck Kaida across the face. She gasped and stumbled, Hosei jumping to catch her. He was stopped by Samuru's punch to his stomach and collapsed, wheezing on his hands and knees. Samuru stood over them, fury written all over his face.

"How dare you." His voice was no more than a hiss. "Do you think, just because you desire freedom, love, you can defy me? Do you?" He screamed the last two words. Kaida, her hand pressed against her cheek, and Hosei, still on his knees, didn't move.

"Freedom is relative. So easily taken away, Kaida," Samuru continued, now dangerously calm. He leaned into Kaida's face as she shied away. "You see now don't you? The grounds seem like an entire world, compared to a tiny room."

Kaida did not look him in the eye and seemed to be struggling not to shiver or cry out. Samuru turned away and walked back to the table. "As for love," he said, toying with the knife he'd used to cut the apple. "It is fleeting. A stupid flight of fancy. The Zodiac is eternal. For example—"

Samuru picked up the knife and, before Kaida or Hosei could realize what he was about to do, he'd pressed it to Hosei's neck.

"No!" Kaida screamed. Hosei froze, wide-eyed and still on the floor.

"If I was to kill him right now," Samuru said conversationally, "what would happen to your love? It'd die too. But the Zodiac—" he twisted the knife and a drop of blood appeared "— would go on. The rooster would be reborn, just as the snake and the dog will soon be reborn. And the Zodiac, our special bond, will go on forever and ever. Now, doesn't that sound better?"

There was a beat of silence. Samuru smiled at Hosei. "Maybe I should kill you, Hosei," he murmured thoughtfully. "It'd make a wonderful lesson. And then you could see Emiko again."

"Leave him alone!" Kaida shrieked suddenly, leaping forwards. The noise and movement startled Samuru. He jumped, raising his hands to stop her, forgetting the knife in his hand.

The whole thing was too fast for any of them to see what happened until it was too late. There was a sickening squelching sound, and Kaida fell back with a small gasp. She hit the floor, blood already pooling around her.

"Kaida!" Hosei screamed. He scrambled to her side and desperately trying to wake her as he listened for a heartbeat or a breath. "No, no, no." When he could find no sign of life, he clung to her and turned to Samuru, tears streaming down his face. "You bastard!" he shouted.

Samuru was shaking his head, quaking, and unable to take his eyes off Kaida's body. "No, no," he murmured frantically, more to himself than to Hosei. "I didn't mean to, I never meant to. It was an accident, an accident."

"Is this how you treat your Zodiac?" Hosei asked. He held Kaida closer, his voice rising. "You've killed her!"

"An accident, an accident," Samuru was still muttering. "She should have stayed still."

"She was trying to protect me," hissed Hosei. "Her love was stronger than your curse, you bastard!" Now he was screaming all out, tears coming full force, but he didn't care. "You are weak! You are supposed to protect us! We are your charges, but instead you've betrayed us! You've killed Kaida, and now you've lost me! You can not hold me. I will break away from your curse and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

And with that he was spent. He bent over Kaida, sobbing.

"What the hell is going on?" Etsuko, the rabbit, was standing in the doorway, observing the scene. Samuru didn't move. He was still standing by himself, shaking his head and whispering "accident, didn't mean to," over and over. Etsuko knelt by Hosei.

"Come on," he said gently. "There's nothing you can do now. Let go of her." Carefully, he pried Hosei from Kaida's body and put an arm around him, guiding him out into the hallway. Hana came running down towards them.

"Hosei? Etsuko? What happened?" she said fearfully.

Etsuko steered Hosei, who was shaking with a blank look on his face, unaware of the others around him, to her. "Hana take Hosei back to your house. There's been an accident. Kaida was stabbed. Watch Hosei carefully and please try to keep people from coming down here for now."

Hana went very pale. "Is she—" Hosei shudder and renewed sobs were all the answered she needed. Face tight, Hana nodded and lead Hosei away. Etsuko ran a hand over his face and returned to Samuru's room to help the still murmuring man.

* * *

><p>It was Hana who found Hosei the next morning, in his bed. He had fluctuated between sobs and absolute stillness for hours until suddenly, around two in the morning, he'd sat up, a vacant look in his eyes, and asked Hana for sleeping pills to help him fall asleep. Crying herself, Hana had thought it a good idea and acquiesced without a pause. It wasn't until she could not wake Hosei the next morning and realized that in her confusion and grief she'd left the now empty pill bottle in his room, that she knew that had been what Hosei had planned.<p>

* * *

><p>In the resulting turmoil in the Sohma household of not one, but two deaths, no one found Hosei's last note. It fell off his desk and was swept into a corner behind a bookshelf. There it remained until many years later, when a dark haired boy is searching for a dropped marble. He pulls out the small scrap of paper and unrolls it to read the words.<p>

_I promised I would not leave her side_._ Love will break the curse._

The boy cocks his head, baffled. He doesn't know anything about the previous dragon and rooster's deaths, because the details were swept up and tucked away amongst the rest of the family secrets. He doesn't know that's the reason the previous god retreated to his bed in shame and shock and wasted away there. He doesn't know that's why his friend, the new dragon, only turns into a seahorse, and the new rooster only turns into a sparrow. He doesn't know that in a few more years the rooster will finally succeed in his predecessor's fight and leave the Zodiac forever. He doesn't know the rabbit and the ram, witnesses to the tragedy, the god's betrayal, will soon follow after.

For the boy, the new dog, the words are just an odd trivial mystery. But even as he finds his marble and tosses the note away, the last words, _Love will break the curse_, stick and cause a few cogs to start turning in his mind.

_Disclaimer: Fruit's Basket and its characters belong to Natsuki Takaya._


End file.
